Silence
by sevenpurplebubbles
Summary: When silence is unwelcome, it can be overwhelming; even deafening. When Fred's grandfather dies, his father starts to pull away, allowing the silence to settle in. Once it does, the silence waits patiently until it can finally tear the family apart.
1. The Calm Before the Silence

**Hey everyone. So this is just something I've been working on recently in my free time. It's only going to have four chapters and the chapters aren't going to be very long, but I hope you like it.**

* * *

The Calm Before the Silence

"Don't worry; everything's going to be alright."

How could I have known, then, that these would be the last meaningful words my mother would ever speak to my father? How could I have known that when I woke up the following morning, everything would be different? How could I have known that life as I knew it was coming to an end? There was no way I could've known.

I remember everything about that night. I remember that the mattress was a little lumpy and the pillows were flat. I remember that my sister, Roxy, had wrapped herself up in the comforter we were meant to share, leaving me with only the flimsy sheet to cover myself. I remember that I didn't care, because it was a sad day, and if Roxy needed the comfort of the blanket, then she could have it.

I remember my parents closing the door to the room Roxy and I were sharing with our cousins. I remember them telling us to get some sleep, because the next day was going to be tough on us all. I remember having trouble finally getting Roxy to sleep because she was on a sugar rush. I remember how I let her eat five cauldron cakes not too long before bed because she needed to be distracted from everything that was going on. I remember hearing Rose having just as much trouble calming Hugo down as I was having with Roxy.

I remember how Roxy finally fell asleep and I listened to her rhythmic breathing while I tried to drift off myself. I remember how Rose sighed in relief when Hugo also finally fell asleep. I remember how I could hear the low murmur of voices coming from downstairs, belonging to the adults who probably wouldn't go to bed until much later. I remember the muffled sounds of my parents talking just outside the door to our room as they prepared to rejoin the rest of the family downstairs. And I remember how I fell asleep listening to my mother's voice, telling my father, "Don't worry; everything's going to be alright."

* * *

**And please let me know what you think about it in a review :)**


	2. When Silence Falls

**Sorry guys. I fully intended to update this sooner, but I went on vacation and while I thought I'd have useable internet it turned out I didn't. But the rest of the chapters definitely won't be posted so far apart :)**

* * *

When Silence Falls

The next morning, the tension was almost tangible. After dressing in the dress robes our mother had left out for us, we descended to breakfast with the rest of the family. Perhaps my first clue should have been my father getting up and leaving the room as soon as my mother walked in. But I just dismissed it. I assumed he was just having difficulty dealing with the pain.

Everyone was quiet, so when my parents were quieter than usual, I assumed it was because of the circumstances. We sat up front with the rest of the family. Perhaps my second clue should have been when my father insisted Roxy and I sit in between him and Mum, but I dismissed this too. I assumed he wanted us between them for comfort.

Once it was over, we gathered around and watched as Grandfather's frail body was lowered into the ground. Perhaps my third clue should have been then, when father walked away through the cemetery to a tombstone I knew better than most. But I just dismissed it. I assumed the sad day was reminding him of his brother and that he hoped to seek comfort by being as close to him as possible.

But when we returned to the Burrow and the adults gathered together in the living room and father was nowhere to be found, I started to wonder if something really was wrong. I tried to distract Roxy, hoping she wouldn't realize anything was wrong. I gave her two more cauldron cakes, sighing when I realized I was going to have to get her to sleep again that night. I was sure that everything would be fine the next day. I figured Dad just needed time to sort everything else; it was his father after all. I couldn't have been more wrong.

When we got home the next day, Mum went straight to the kitchen and Dad went straight for his office. Neither spoke a word to each other. Roxy ran straight to her room, excited to be home, back with her toys. I bit my lip and slowly walked up to my room, shutting myself inside when I finally got there. The silence was deafening. I frantically tore through my closet, desperately searching for the CD player Grandfather had gotten me for my tenth birthday. When I finally found it, I placed the headphones on my head and hit play in an attempt to block out the silence.

* * *

**Thoughts?**


	3. The Silence Closes In

**Okay hi anyone who's reading this. Here's the next chapter. There's only one more and then I'm done, so enjoy!**

* * *

The Silence Closes In

For a while, I waited for things to return to normal. But as time went on, I knew they never would. Every morning, I listened as my mother asked my father if he would be home for dinner, willing him to answer with something other than 'no'. I started keeping track of the time when my father would finally get home from work, protesting when my mother tried to convince me to go to bed even though he wasn't home yet.

I began to notice little things. A blanket and pillow had taken up permanent residence on the couch in the living room. My father's clothes were slowly migrating from my parent's bedroom to my father's office. Even without realizing there was something wrong, Roxy had started setting the table for three instead of four.

I grew to dread the times when my parents would be home at the same time. With one of them out of the house, I could delude myself into thinking nothing was wrong. The worst times were when the two of them were in the same room; the contrast to how it used to be staring me in the face. At first, my mother made attempts to engage my father in conversation, but the more she tried, the less he responded. He could barely even look her in the eye anymore.

Every night it's the same now. After dinner, the silence becomes so thick I can't take it and I have to retreat to my room and play my music in the CD player. I have to start it over every time it reaches the end of the last song. I put the volume up as high as my eardrums can take it. Eventually, I'll drift off to sleep, only to be woken later as I scream into my pillow in an attempt to muffle the noise. I don't want to wake Roxy.

The music has reached the last song and the sudden silence permeates my room as I attempt to calm down and try to control my breathing. I'm afraid. I'm afraid of what's happening to me. But even worse, I'm afraid of what's happening to my family.

* * *

**Please review!**


	4. Silence Takes Over

**Alright, thanks all for reading. This is the last chapter of this story. Hope you enjoyed it :)**

* * *

Silence Takes Over

I thought things would get better when I got back to school. I thought being away from everything would help me to forget about it all. But everyone keeps telling me how sorry they are about my grandfather, and that only reminds me of the day everything changed.

I forgot that Muggle devices didn't work inside the castle. I don't have the music anymore to escape to. I had to ask Professor Flitwick to teach me a silencing spell. I told him I had a roommate that snores really loud and that the noise made it hard to sleep. I lied. If I'd had a roommate that snored, maybe I wouldn't have this problem. But for some reason, I got stuck with a bunch of silent sleepers. Or maybe they all just learnt silencing spells too.

I wake up screaming every night. There's no exception. Sometimes I don't even fall asleep before I start to scream and cry into my pillow. I know this silence isn't the same, but I also know the silence can only be getting worse now that Roxy and I are both away at school.

I don't know why I was surprised when I got the owl. I'd seen it coming for months. When Roxy and I went home for Christmas, it was even worse than it was in the summer. But for some reason, seeing it there, written in my mother's own handwriting, was more than I could take. I looked down the breakfast table to see if Roxy had gotten the same letter. She had. I watched her eyes tear up and her chin quiver as she quickly got up and ran out of the Hall. I looked down at the note once more before running after her.

_Fred_

_I'm staying at my parents' house. Your father and I are getting a divorce. I'm so sorry. I'm not coming home._

_Mum_

* * *

**Don't forget to leave a review.**


End file.
